Travel companions

There's nothing I like more than to have someone read me a good story. My packing routine to go on a trip includes downloading a couple of good audiobooks so I have listening choices en route. I just got back from a quick getaway to Florida. On both legs of my flight I sat next to retired seniors who wondered what I was doing with my cell phone while the plane was in the air. I was listening to reader Jeff Woodman unfurl "The Life of Pi," Yan Martel's story of an Indian boy lost at sea. Pi's voice carried me across the Pacific, as Woodman accurately captured the narrator's accents and expressions.

I wondered about the reader. In his profile in AudioFile Magazine, Woodman and his work of "vocal portraits" are introduced: "He's a master of accents and emotional subtleties and brings a youthful energy to his recordings... To producer Paul Ruben, Jeff's most compelling quality is 'his intuitive ability to empathize with characters and the author's point of view and, in turn, connect with his listeners, enabling them to suspend their disbelief and become fully involved with the story and the storyteller.'" Based on this listen, I'd agree. I couldn't put "The Life of Pi" down, I mean, turn the audiobook off, even as my plane touched down.

I also found several more audiobooks read by Jeff Woodman to add to my shelves. It looks like the library has 72 audiobook items! Here's a picture of my new favorite reader.

Did you know that you can search Bibliocommons, our catalog, by audiobook readers? Hint: just type your favorite reader's name into the search box and search by AUTHOR.

Notice you can narrow the search results using the FORMAT selection on the left side of the screen. Here I’ve selected Audiobooks on CD and Downloadable Audiobooks.

We offer audiobook titles on CD and Playaway in the library for checkout, as well as audiobooks from two downloadable services: eLibraryNJ and OneClickDigital.

If you’re an audiobook fan, do you have a favorite travel companion/reader?